Caring for preservation - coring for prehistoric life. Revisiting 15 000 years of sedimentation at the Ageröd peatland, Southern Sweden
Hansson, Anton LU ; Kjällquist, Mathilda LU and Boethius, Adam LU
(2024)
In Quaternary Environments and Humans
2(6).
- Abstract
- The R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex, situated in central Scania, contains numerous archaeological sites
discovered since the 19th century. Two sediment sequences were obtained at the Ager¨od peatland to compare the
sediment stratigraphy with a previous sequence obtained in 1960 to detect any modern-day changes and to
establish the Holocene environmental development in the area. To clarify the timing of ceased peat-cutting
activities, dendrochronological analysis was performed on trees growing on the peatland. The results indicate
that the lake transitioned into first a fen stage and later a raised bog stage, at about 7300 cal BP and 6500 cal BP,
respectively. Furthermore, the dendrochronological analysis... (More) - The R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex, situated in central Scania, contains numerous archaeological sites
discovered since the 19th century. Two sediment sequences were obtained at the Ager¨od peatland to compare the
sediment stratigraphy with a previous sequence obtained in 1960 to detect any modern-day changes and to
establish the Holocene environmental development in the area. To clarify the timing of ceased peat-cutting
activities, dendrochronological analysis was performed on trees growing on the peatland. The results indicate
that the lake transitioned into first a fen stage and later a raised bog stage, at about 7300 cal BP and 6500 cal BP,
respectively. Furthermore, the dendrochronological analysis indicates that peat cutting ceased at least before
1960 in the sampled areas. Depending on e.g. hydrological conditions and human impact, the potential for
preservation of organic remains varies greatly within the R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex. After peatcutting
activities ceased at the Ager¨od peatland, the area was abandoned, without being restored to its original
state and the drainage systems were left open but without maintenance. Our results show that these drainage
ditches are still effective at the Ager¨od peatland, which contributes to an active loss of peat at the top of the
stratigraphic sequence. This causes the youngest formed peat layers to degrade, in turn, exposing older layers and
reducing the buffer zone above the preserved organic cultural heritage from the lake-phase of the wetland with
their destruction. To increase the understanding of modern-day processes affecting the preservation of organic
remains in peatlands, continued monitoring and measuring of the peatland preservation status is needed in areas
with archaeological deposits. We predict that if we fail to take action and establish a routine for finding and
mitigating ongoing wetland degradation, the organic cultural and environmental heritage in them will, in the
not-too-distant future, collapse and irrevocably deteriorate. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8b469b75-d827-4c1b-b0f2-55bd6bb582f7
- author
- Hansson, Anton
LU
; Kjällquist, Mathilda
LU
and Boethius, Adam
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-11-15
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Peatlands, Southern Sweden, Organic preservation, Archaeology, Stone Age, peatlands, Southern Sweden, Organic preservation, Archaeology, Stone age
- in
- Quaternary Environments and Humans
- volume
- 2
- issue
- 6
- pages
- 13 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 2950-2365
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.qeh.2024.100039
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8b469b75-d827-4c1b-b0f2-55bd6bb582f7
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-20 14:01:17
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 14:56:06
@article{8b469b75-d827-4c1b-b0f2-55bd6bb582f7,
abstract = {{The R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex, situated in central Scania, contains numerous archaeological sites<br/>discovered since the 19th century. Two sediment sequences were obtained at the Ager¨od peatland to compare the<br/>sediment stratigraphy with a previous sequence obtained in 1960 to detect any modern-day changes and to<br/>establish the Holocene environmental development in the area. To clarify the timing of ceased peat-cutting<br/>activities, dendrochronological analysis was performed on trees growing on the peatland. The results indicate<br/>that the lake transitioned into first a fen stage and later a raised bog stage, at about 7300 cal BP and 6500 cal BP,<br/>respectively. Furthermore, the dendrochronological analysis indicates that peat cutting ceased at least before<br/>1960 in the sampled areas. Depending on e.g. hydrological conditions and human impact, the potential for<br/>preservation of organic remains varies greatly within the R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex. After peatcutting<br/>activities ceased at the Ager¨od peatland, the area was abandoned, without being restored to its original<br/>state and the drainage systems were left open but without maintenance. Our results show that these drainage<br/>ditches are still effective at the Ager¨od peatland, which contributes to an active loss of peat at the top of the<br/>stratigraphic sequence. This causes the youngest formed peat layers to degrade, in turn, exposing older layers and<br/>reducing the buffer zone above the preserved organic cultural heritage from the lake-phase of the wetland with<br/>their destruction. To increase the understanding of modern-day processes affecting the preservation of organic<br/>remains in peatlands, continued monitoring and measuring of the peatland preservation status is needed in areas<br/>with archaeological deposits. We predict that if we fail to take action and establish a routine for finding and<br/>mitigating ongoing wetland degradation, the organic cultural and environmental heritage in them will, in the<br/>not-too-distant future, collapse and irrevocably deteriorate.}},
author = {{Hansson, Anton and Kjällquist, Mathilda and Boethius, Adam}},
issn = {{2950-2365}},
keywords = {{Peatlands; Southern Sweden; Organic preservation; Archaeology; Stone Age; peatlands; Southern Sweden; Organic preservation; Archaeology; Stone age}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{11}},
number = {{6}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Quaternary Environments and Humans}},
title = {{Caring for preservation - coring for prehistoric life. Revisiting 15 000 years of sedimentation at the Ageröd peatland, Southern Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.qeh.2024.100039}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.qeh.2024.100039}},
volume = {{2}},
year = {{2024}},
}